Process of heat treating and torch therefor



Dec. 29, 1936. c. H. TAYLOR 2,055,627

PROCESS oF HEAT TREATING AND ToRcH THEREROR r y F-led March 13, 1953 YY VElar ZW ATT RNEYS 6 Claims.

Thefinvention relates to torches, and more particularly to blow torches adapted for heat treatggg ya certain portion or portions only of a metal dy.`='` f" l`lyv`vIthas `been proposed to heat treat portions of articles by means of a torch, such as the ordinary oxyfac'etylene torch, by playing theame upon the `l`portion to be heat treated for the required length :of time, andthen quickly chilling the said filirtio'nfasv by quenching.

. Inorder to prevent any material heating of adjacent portions of the article, resulting in the setting'up of strains therein and/or changes in the: grain structure thereof, it is customary to play streamsof water or other cooling medium around or at the sides of the portion being heated I by the flame.

gafllhislpractice requires the services of one or moremn in addition to the torch operator.

lviorecver,r it is obviously very diilcult to con-` tinuously direct the cooling medium onto the article being'heat treated with suicient accuracy "colig'mediumto an articler at a predetersubstantially constant distance from the 4n``b`eing heated.

i further object is to provide an improved Bneriend' construction having means for directingcooling medium against the article befm' e`r` lridiconstruction for simultaneously applying f 'iig-:heatftreated at locations entirely surrounding 45 th lpiti'ri being heatedby the name.

lier object is to provide an improved burnconstruction having means for dischargbling medium adjacent to the flame and oblin'g' the burner tip.

further object is to provide a torch hav- `means for conducting a cooling medium'to iris v, its'liiiier end, and means located adjacent the 1 U t controlling means for'independently conro n" he flow of cooling medium. ally, itis an objectof the present PROCESS OF HEAT TBEATING AND TORCH THEREFOB charles n. Taylor, Nomi canton, ohio Application Maron 1s, 193s, serial No. 660,525

other object is to providean improved burn- PATENT OFFICE sussurri in a simple, compact and inexpensive construction, which Iis particularly adapted for eicient and convenient manipulation by a single operator, and which produces work of extremely high quality.

These and other objects are attained by the improvements comprising the present invention, which may be stated in general terms as including a torch having a burner tip and a handle,-

means on the handle for controlling the ow of gases to the burner tip, a jacket surrounding the burner tip and forming a jacket chamber, means associated with the handle for introducing a cooling medium to thejacket chamber, means located adjacent the gas controlling means for controlling the flow cf cooling medium to the jacket chamber, and-the Walls of the jacket forming a discharge outlet for the cooling medium adjacent the gas outlet of the burner tip.

Preferred embodiments of the present improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of a torch embodying the present improvements, and having a preferred form of burner end construction.

vention to embody al1 ofthe foregoing objectives' lli Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the burner v end shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a modied form of burner end construction; Y

Fig. 5 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of another modication of burner end construction;

Fig. '7 is anV end elevation thereof; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of still another modied form of burner end construction.

Similar 'numerals refer Vto similar parts throughout the several views.

A preferred embodiment of the improved ytorch is shown in Figure 1, the handle portion I0 thereof being connected at one end to gas supply lines I I and I2, which may conduct oxygen and acetylene respectively. At its other end, theY oi' the gas in supply conduit I I, and a valve I 1 is provided for controlling the ilow of gas in conduit 2, according to common practice. As shown, the valves I6 and I1 are conveniently located at the inner end of the handle portion I for quick and easy manipulation by the operator.

The improved burner end construction applied to the torch to adapt it for heat treating desired portions only of an article, is indicated generally at I8 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and preferably includes a jacket 9, which may be substantially cylindric in cross section and has the annular walls |9.

The jacket 9 is adapted to engirdle the burner tip I4 and forms a substantially annular jacket chamber 20 between the tip^|4 and the walls of the jacket i9. Preferably, the jacket |9 extends longitudinally substantially the entire length of the tip.

The jacket I9 is preferably provided with a rear wall 2 I, which has at its central portion a threaded aperture 22. The tip |4 is provided at its inner end with a threaded projecting end portion 23 for screwing into the burner pipe |3, and the portion 23 is also adapted to screw into the threaded aperture 22 of the end wall 2| of the jacket.

Preferably the tip I4 is provided with a shoulder portion 24 which abuts the inner'surface of the end wall 2| of the jacket for mounting the tip solidly therein. Intermediate their ends -the annular walls I9 of the jacket may have circuml ferentially spaced set screws 25 screwed therethrough, for abutting the tip |4. The screws 25 act to center the outer end of the tip |4 within the jacket so that the tip is coaxial with the jacket.

It will be obvious that by adjusting the set screws 25 the jacket and tip may be relatively adjusted so as to position the tip against the jacket at one point or another in order to regulate the discharge of water around the tip, whereby it is possible to discharge water entirely around the gas jet.in a uniform jet or cone,vor to cut oil the flow of water at any desired point so' that the operator may observe the metal during the heat treating operation and thus be guided in his work.

With the difference in diameter of the tip and the jacket very slight as shown in Fig. 2, it will be seen that by moving the tip against one side of the jacket, a sufiicient portion of the discharge of water will be cut oi at that side to permit the operator to clearly view the work through the opening thus 4produced in the cone of water. 'f

Preferably adjacentits rear wall 2|, the jacket 9 is provided with an angularly extending inlet portion 26 which is secured to or may be integral with the walls ofthe jacket. The inlet portion -26 is preferably interiorly threaded for receiving the threaded end of a conduit 21 for conducting a cooling medium into the jacket chamber 20.

-A valve 23 for controlling the ilow of cooling medium is provided in the conduit 21 adjacent tothe gas valves I6 and I1, for convenient manipulationbythe operator of the torch. The valve 23 is preferably maintained in adjacent relation `to the valves I6 and I1 by means of a clamp 29- which holds the conduit Q21into close association with the handle portion I0 of the torch.

Adjacent its outer end, the burner tip 4 may be flared outwardly as indicated at 33, and the annular .walls I9 of the jacket preferably converge inwardly at their outer ends as shown at 3|, so that the ends 3| of the jacket and the' flared portion 30 of the tip are spaced only slightly apart and form an annular'discharge outlet 33 extending entirely around the tip |4 for discharging the cooling medium from the jacket chamber 20.

The outer end 34of the burner tip I4 in which the discharge outlet I is locatedmay project slightly outwardly from the ared portion 33, and is Vpreferably reduced somewhat in diameter from the diameter of the ared portion 30. 'I'he annular discharge outlet 33 is laterally spaced from and adjacent to thegas discharge outlet I5 of the tip, and the area of the outlet 33 is preferably such that the cooling medium will be discharged under pressure in the form of an annular jet surrounding the jet of gas.

In heat treating a portion of a metal body B, the tip I4 is maintained at a substantially constant distance therefroml and the flame indicated at 36 is played directly upon the portion to be heat treated, and at the same time a cooling medium such as water is being discharged from the outlet 33 as indicated at 31. The cooling medium, accordingly is dischargedl from the .burner in the form of a cone entirely surrounding the burner ame 36, and impinges the work at a substantially 4constant distance laterally from the portion impinged by the ame of the gas jet, so as to prevent the heat from being conducted to adjoining portions of the body B and preclude the setting up of any strains therein or changes in the grain structure thereof.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the burner tip ||4 may be cylindrical substantially throughout its length, and has a discharge outlet ||5 at its outer end |34, and is connected except that at the outer end |3| of the jacket,

the walls ||9 thereof are shaped to llt closely around the tip ||4 throughout the major part of its periphery as indicated at |40, and form be: tween the jacket and thetip diametrically opposite discharge apertures |4| for discharging streams ofthe cooling medium under pressure from the jacket cha ber |20, at locations adjacent to the gas discha outlet ||5 of the tip ||4.

In the modiiled form shown in Fig. 6, the burner tip 2|4 is provided with a plurality of gas discharge passages 242 which extend through and form laterally spaced discharge outlets 2|5 in the burner tip ends 244. The discharge passages 242 communicate with a laterallyI extending passage 2.45 in the tip, and the passage 245 in turn communicates with the passage 246 formed in the inner lprojecting end 223 of the tip, which is adapted for connection to the burner pipe. 'I'he jacket 209engirdles the burner tip 2I4 and forms a jacket chamber 220 extending entirely around the tip 2|4.-

An inlet portion 226 communicates with the jacket chamber 220 for introducing cooling medium therein. 'I'he outer ends 23| ofthe walls 2I9 of the jacket chamber converge inwardly and are spaced only slightly from the outer surfaces of the burner tip 2|4 to form a continuous discharge opening 233 for discharging a jet oi' the cooling medium extending entirely around the burner tipand laterally adjacent tothe gas dis circumferentially spaced discharge outlets 333 for discharging streams o! medium at 15 held closely adjacent to and at a substantially constant distance from a metal body, such as indicated at B in Fig. 2, with the ame 36 impinging directly upon the portion of the body to be heat treated. The valve 28 is'then opened to introduce cooling medium into the jacket chamber, and the cooling medium is forced out of the discharge outlet or outlets under pressure, striking adjacent portions of the body B at predetermined distances from the portion impinged by the flame. In all forms of the invention here'- in disclosed, the cooling medium is discharged the work impinged by the ame or jet of gas.

Th'us` the portions of the body B adjacent to the portion being heated by the flame are continuously cooled by the cooling medium during the heating operation, and/the/cooling'medium strikes the body/Bfo'nly' at predetermined distances froxn'the flame, thereby preventing internal disturbances in ,the grain structure of said adjacent portions, and precluding any`possibility of the cooling medium striking the portion being heated.

After the portion being heat treated has been heated suiiciently, the llame may o be extinguished, andv by moving the burner end slightly laterally the cooling medium is directed upon the heated portion tol chillor quench the same for proper hardening.

In cases where adjacent portions of a body are being successively heat treated, as for instance gear teeth on a gear wheel, it may not be necessary to extinguish the llame between operations, because when the llame' moved to the next adjacent tooth the cooll medium will strike the tooth just previously heated, quenching vthe same. I

The improved burner end construction provides for discharging a cooling medium adjacent to the flame ,as above described, and at the same time the jacket chamber containing the cooling medium provides for continuously cooling the burner tip so as to increase the longevity thereof.

The present improved torch is simple and inexpensive, and may be eiliciently manipulated by a single operator to produce more uniform results and a higher quality of heat treatment than has been heretofore accomplished.

I claim:

1. Burner end` construction forheat treating torches and the like, including a tip having a gas discharge outlet at one end for discharging a jet of gas, a jacket engirdling the tip and formv.lng a jacket chamber between the tip and jacket,

lmeans for introducing water into the 'jacket .jchaniben and the walls of the jacket at one end work, walls forminga jacket chamber surroundgas discharge outlet at one end for discharging 10- a jet of gas axially of the tip, a jacket engirdling the tip and forming a jacket chamber between the tip and jacket,A means for introducing water into the jacket chamber, and the walls of the jacket at oneend thereofbeiig"spcedromthe tip to form an annular discharge outlet for discharging an annular outwardly flared jet of the water around the gas jet and means for relatively adjusting the jacket and tip to regulate I said jet of water at different points around the .20 tiD 3. A torch including a tip adapted for discharging a jet of gas onto a portion of a piece of work maintained at a substantially constant distance from said tip, Walls forming a jacketchamber surrounding the tip, means for introducing water into the jacket chamber, andthe walls of the jacket chamber forming an outlet for discharging water onto-said piece of work at a substantiallyv constant distance laterally 30 from the portionimpinged by the jet of gas, and means for shutting off the flow of water at one point around the tip.

4. A torch includinga tip adapted-for discharging a jet of gas onto a portion of a piecel of work, walls forming a jacket chamber surrounding the tip, means for' introducing `Water into the jacket chamber, and means for discharging the water onto the work at a point` spaced from the portion implnged by the gas jet, 40 and means for regulating the discharge oi' water at diii'erent points around the tip.

5. A torch including a tip adapted for discharging a'jet of gas onto a portion of a piece o'f ing the tip, means for introducing water into the. jacket chamber, and means for discharging the water in a cone surrounding and spaced from the gas jet onto the work at a distance from the portion impinged by the gas jet, and means for regulating the cone of water at different points around the tip.

- 6. A method of hardening metal objects which comprises impinging a heating jet of high intensity upon the portion of the object to be heated, simultaneously impinging a quenching 'jet upon the object in the form o f a sheath substan- Atially surrounding and in close proximity to the 

